Pondering AI
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: 24 days ago - ★★★★★ - 15 ratingsHow is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) shaping our human experience?
Kimberly Nevala ponders the reality of AI with a diverse group of innovators, advocates and data scientists. Ethics and uncertainty. Automation and art. Work, politics and culture. In real life and online. Contemplate AI’s impact, for better and worse.
All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.
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Episodes
The AI Experience with Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran
April 03, 2024 09:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBSarah Gibbons and Kate Moran riff on the experience of using current AI tools, how AI systems may change our behavior and the application of AI to human-centered design. Sarah and Kate share their non-linear paths to becoming leading user experience (UX) designers. Defining the human-centric mindset Sarah stresses that intent is design and we are all designers. Kate and Sarah then challenge teams to resist short-term problem hunting for AI alone. This leads to an energized and f...
Tech, Prosperity and Power with Simon Johnson
March 20, 2024 09:00 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBSimon Johnson takes on techno-optimism, the link between technology and human well-being, the law of intended consequences, the modern union remit and political will. In this sobering tour through time, Simon proves that widespread human flourishing is not intrinsic to tech innovation. He challenges the ‘productivity bandwagon’ (an economic maxim so pervasive it did not have a name) and shows that productivity and market polarization often go hand-in-hand. Simon also views big tech...
Raising Robots with Professor Rose Luckin
March 06, 2024 10:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBProfessor Rose Luckin provides an engaging tutorial on the opportunities, risks, and challenges of AI in education and why AI raises the bar for human learning. Acknowledging AI’s real and present risks, Rose is optimistic about the power of AI to transform education and meet the needs of diverse student populations. From adaptive learning platforms to assistive tools, Rose highlights opportunities for AI to make us smarter, supercharge learner-educator engagement and level t...
The State of Play in AI Ethics with Katrina Ingram
February 21, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBKatrina Ingram addresses AI power dynamics, regulatory floors and ethical ceilings, inevitability narratives, self-limiting predictions, and public AI education. Katrina traces her career from communications to her current pursuits in applied AI ethics. Showcasing her way with words, Katrina dissects popular AI narratives. While contemplating AI FOMO, she cautions against an engineering mentality and champions the power to say ‘no.’ Katrina contrasts buying groceries with AI sol...
Public Interest, Politics and Privacy with Paulo Carvão
February 07, 2024 10:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBPaulo Carvão discusses AI’s impact on the public interest, emerging regulatory schemes, progress over perfection, and education as the lynchpin for ethical tech. In this thoughtful discussion, Paulo outlines the cultural, ideological and business factors underpinning the current data economy. An economy in which the manipulation of personal data into private corporate assets is foundational. Opting for optimism over cynicism, Paul advocates for a first principles approac...
AI at Work w/ Christina Colclough
December 22, 2023 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBDr. Christina Jayne Colclough reflects on AI Regulations at Work. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Putting Inclusion To Work w/ Giselle Mota
December 21, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBGiselle Mota reflects on Inclusion at Work in the age of AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
GAI in the Enterprise w/ Ganes Kesari
December 20, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.2 MBGanes Kesari reflects on generative AI (GAI) in the Enterprise. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Digital Ethics and Regulation w/ Chris McClean
December 19, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBChris McClean reflects on Digital Ethics and Regulation in AI today. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Making Model Decisions w/ Dr. Erica Thompson
December 18, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.4 MBDr. Erica Thompson reflects on Making Model Decisions about and with AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next. To learn more, check out Erica’s book Escape from Model Land: How Mathematical Models Can Lead Us Astray and What We Can Do About It
Upskilling Human Decision Making w/ Roger Spitz
December 17, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBRoger Spitz reflects on Upskilling Human Decision Making in the age of AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next. To learn more, check out Roger’s book series The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption
Systems-Thinking in AI w/ Sheryl Cababa
December 16, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12 MBSheryl Cababa reflects on Systems Thinking in AI design. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next. To learn more, check out Sheryl’s book Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers
GAI Detection and Protection w/ Ilke Demir
December 15, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.46 MBIlke Demir reflects on Generative AI (GAI) Detection and Protection. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
LLMs and Beyond w/ Mark Bishop
December 14, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 9.06 MBProfessor J Mark Bishop reflects on large language models (LLM) and beyond. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Environmental & Social Sustainability w/ Henrik Skaug Saetra
December 13, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBHenrik Skaug Sætra reflects on Environmental and Social Sustainability with AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next. To learn more, check out Henrik’s latest book: Technology and Sustainable Development: The Promise and Pitfalls of Techno-Solutionism
Policymaking and Accessibility in AI w/ Yonah Welker
December 12, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBYonah Welker reflects on Policymaking, Inclusion and Accessibility in AI today. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Diversity and Accessibility in AI w/ Yonah Welker
December 12, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBYonah Welker reflects on Policymaking, Inclusion and Accessibility in AI today. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Human-AI Interaction w/ Marisa Tschopp
December 11, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBMarisa Tschopp reflects on Human-AI interactions in AI. In this capsule series, prior guests share their insights on current happenings in AI and intuitions about what to expect next.
Regulatory Progress & Pitfalls w/ Patrick Hall
December 06, 2023 10:30 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBPatrick Hall drops in to provide a current take on risk, reward and regulation in AI today. In this bonus episode, Patrick reflects on the evolving state of play in AI regulations, consumer awareness and education.
AI Stories at Work with Ganes Kesari
May 03, 2023 09:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBGanes Kesari confronts AI hype and calls for balance, reskilling, data literacy, decision intelligence and data storytelling to adopt AI productively. Ganes reveals the reality of AI and analytics adoption in the enterprise today. Highlighting extreme divides in understanding and expectations, Ganes provides a grounded point of view on delivering sustained business value. Cautioning against a technocentric approach, Ganes discusses the role of data literacy a...
Keeping Work Human with Dr. Christina Colclough
April 19, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBDr. Christina Colclough addresses tech determinism, the value of human labor, managerial fuzz, collective will, digital rights, and participatory AI deployment. Christina traces the path of digital transformation and the self-sustaining narrative of tech determinism. As well as how the perceptions of the public, the C-Suite and workers (aka wage earners) diverge. Thereby highlighting the urgent need for robust public dialogue, education and collective action. Championing construct...
Practical Ethics with Reid Blackman
April 05, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBReid Blackman confronts whack-a-mole approaches to AI ethics, ethical ‘do goodery,’ squishy values, moral nuance, advocacy vs. activism and overfitting for AI. Reid distinguishes AI for ‘not bad’ from AI ‘for good’ and corporate social responsibility. He describes how the language of risk creates a bridge between ethics and business. Debunking the notion of ethicists as moral priests, Reid provides practical steps for making ethics palatable and effective. Reid and Kimberly discus...
Generative AI: Unreal Realities with Ilke Demir
March 22, 2023 09:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBIlke Demir depicts the state of generative AI, deepfakes for good, the emotional shelf life of synthesized media, and methods to identify AI-generated content. Ilke provides a primer on traditional generative models and generative AI. Outlining the fast-evolving capabilities of generative AI, she also notes their current lack of controls and transparency. Ilke then clarifies the term deepfake and highlights applications of ‘deepfakes for good.’ Ilke and Kimberly discuss whether th...
Plain Talk About Talking AI with J Mark Bishop
March 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBProfessor J Mark Bishop reflects on the trickiness of language, how LLMs work, why ChatGPT can’t understand, the nature of AI and emerging theories of mind. Mark explains what large language models (LLM) do and provides a quasi-technical overview of how they work. He also exposes the complications inherent in comprehending language. Mark calls for more philosophical analysis of how systems such as GPT-3 and ChatGPT replicate human knowledge. Yet, understand nothing. Noting the asto...
In AI We Trust with Chris McClean
February 22, 2023 10:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBChris McClean reflects on ethics vs. risk, ethically positive outcomes, the nature of trust, looking beyond ourselves, privacy at work and in the metaverse. Chris outlines the key differences between digital ethics and risk management. He emphasizes the discovery of positive outcomes as well as harms and where a data-driven approach can fall short. From there, Chris outlines a comprehensive digital ethics framework and why starting with impact is key. He then describes a pragmatic ...
AI for Sustainable Development with Henrik Skaug Sætra
February 08, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MBHenrik Skaug Sætra contends humans aren’t mere machines, assesses AI thru a sustainable development lens and weighs the effect of political imbalances and ESG. Henrik embraces human complexity. He advises against applying AI to naturally messy problems or to influence populations least able to resist. Henrik outlines how the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) can identify beneficial and marketable avenues for AI. He also describes SDG’s usefulness in ethical impact assessment. ...
The Philosophy of AI with Dr. Mark Coeckelbergh
August 03, 2022 09:30 - 39 minutes - 36 MBDr. Mark Coeckelbergh is a Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology, a member of the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (EC) and the Austrian Council on Robotics and AI. In this insightful discussion, Mark explains why AI systems are not merely tools or strictly rational endeavors. He describes the challenges created when AI systems imitate human capabilities and how human sciences help address the messy realities of AI. Mark also demonstrates how political p...
Keeping Science in Data Science with Patrick Hall
July 20, 2022 09:30 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBPatrick Hall is the Principal Scientist at bnh.ai. Patrick artfully illustrates how data science has become divorced from scientific rigor. At least, that is, in popular conceptions of the practice. Kimberly and Patrick discuss the pernicious influence of the McNamara Fallacy, applying the scientific method to algorithmic development and keeping an open mind without sacrificing concept validity. Patrick addresses the recent hubbub around AI sentience, cautions against using AI in s...
Synthesizing the Future with Fernando Lucini
July 06, 2022 10:30 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBFernando Lucini is the Global Data Science & ML Engineering Lead (aka Chief Data Scientist) at Accenture. Fernando Lucini outlines common uses for AI generated synthetic data. He emphasizes that synthetic data is a facsimile – close, but not quite real - and debunks the notion it is inherently private. Kimberly and Fernando discuss the potential pitfalls in synthetic data sets, the emergent need for standard controls, and why ensuring quality - much less fairness - is not simple. F...
The Future of Human Decision Making with Roger Spitz
June 22, 2022 09:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBRoger Spitz is the CEO of Techistential and Chairman of the Disruptive Futures Institute. In this thought-provoking discussion, Roger discusses why neither humans nor AI systems are great at decision making in complex environments. But why humans should be. Roger unveils the insidious influence of AI systems on human decisions and why uncertainty is a pre-requisite for human choice, freedom, and agency. Kimberly and Roger discuss the implications of complexity, the rising cost of p...
Risk vs. Rights in AI with Dorothea Baur
June 08, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBDr. Dorothea Baur is an ethicist and independent consultant on the topics of ethics, responsibility and sustainability in tech and finance. Dorothea debunks common ethical misconceptions and explores the novel issues that arise when applying ethics to technology. Kimberly and Dorothea discuss the risks posed by risk management-based approaches to tech ethics. As well as the “unholy collision” between the pursuit of scale and universal generalization. Dorothea reluctantly gives a no...
In AI We Trust with Marisa Tschopp
May 25, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MBMarisa Tschopp is a Human-AI interaction researcher at scip AG and Co-Chair of the IEEE Agency and Trust in AI Systems Committee. Marisa answers the question ‘what is trust?' and compares trust between humans to trust in a machine. Differentiating trust from trustworthiness, Marisa emphasizes the importance of considering the context and motivation behind AI systems. Kimberly and Marisa discuss the pros and cons of endowing AI systems with human characteristics (aka anthropomorphiz...
AI’s World View with Dr. Erica Thompson
May 11, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBDr Erica Thompson is a Senior Policy Fellow in Ethics of Modelling and Simulation at the LSE Data Science Institute. Using the trusty-ish weather forecast as a starting point, Erica highlights the gaps to be minded when applying models in real-life. Kimberly and Erica discuss the role of expert judgement and intuition, the orthodoxy of data-driven cultures, models as engines not cameras, and why exposing uncertainty improves decision-making. Erica illustrates why it is so easy to b...
Designing for Human Experience with Sheryl Cababa
April 27, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBSheryl Cababa is the Chief Design Officer at Substantial where she conducts research, develops design strategies and advocates for human-centric outcomes. From the infinite scroll to Twitter edits, Sheryl illustrates how current design practices unwittingly undermine human agency. Often while delivering exactly what a user wants. She refutes the need to categorically eliminate the term ‘users’ while showing how a singular user focus has led us astray. Sheryl then outlines how syste...
Humanity at Scale with Kate O’Neill
December 15, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBKate O’Neill is an executive strategist, the Founder and CEO of KO Insights, and author dedicated to improving the human experience at scale. In this paradigm-shifting discussion, Kate traces her roots from a childhood thinking heady thoughts about language and meaning to her current mission as ‘The Tech Humanist’. Following this thread, Kate illustrates why meaning is the core of what makes us human. She urges us to champion meaningful innovation and reject the notion that we ar...
Automation, Agency and the Future of Work with Giselle Mota
December 01, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39 MBGiselle Mota is a Principal Consultant for the Future of Work at ADP where she advices organizations on human agency, diversity and learning in the age of AI. In this energetic discussion, Giselle shares how navigating dyslexia spawned a passion for technology and enabling learning at work. Giselle stresses that human agency and automation are only mutually exclusive when AI is employed with the wrong end in mind. Prioritizing human experience over ‘doing more with less’ Giselle ...
Growing Up with AI with Baroness Beeban Kidron
November 17, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBBaroness Beeban Kidron is an award-willing filmmaker, a Crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords and the Founder and Chair of the 5Rights Foundation. In this eye-opening discussion, Beeban vividly describes how the seed for 5Rights was planted while getting up close and personal with teenagers navigating the physical and digital realms ‘In Real Life’. Beeban sounds a resounding alarm about why treating all humans as equal on the internet is regressive. As well as how existing busin...
Is AI-Driven Sustainability Sustainable with Vincent de Montalivet
November 03, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBVincent de Montalivet is the Global AI Sustainability Leader at Capgemini where he develops strategies to use AI to combat climate change and drive corporate net-zero initiatives. In this forthright discussion, Vincent charts his path from supply chain engineering to his current position at the crossroads of data, IT and sustainability. Vincent stresses this is the ‘decade of action’ and highlights cutting edge AI applications enabling the turn from simulation to accountability in...
The Case for Humanizing Technology with David Ryan Polgar
October 20, 2021 09:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBDavid Ryan Polgar is the Founder of All Tech is Human. He is a leading tech ethicist, an advocate for human-centric technology, and advisor on improving social media and crafting a better digital future. In this timely discussion, David traces his not-so-unlikely path from practicing law to being a standard bearer for the responsible technology movement. He artfully illustrates the many ways technology is altering the human experience and makes the case for “no application without...
Your (Personal) Digital Twin with Dr. Valérie Morignat PhD
October 06, 2021 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBDr. Valérie Morignat PhD is the CEO of Intelligent Story and a leading advisor on the creative economy. She is a true polymath working at the intersection of art, culture, and technology. In this perceptive discussion, Valérie illustrates how cultural legacies inform technology and innovation today. Tracing a path from storytelling in caves to modern Sci-Fi she proves that everything new takes (a lot of) time. Far from theoretical, Valérie shows how this philosophical understanding...
The Path to Zero Exclusion with Yonah Welker
September 22, 2021 09:00 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBYonah Welker is a technology innovator, influencer, and advocate for diversity and zero exclusion in AI. They are at the forefront of policies and applications for adaptive, assistive, and social AI. In this illuminating discussion, Yonah traces their personal journey from isolation to advocacy through technology. They are passionate about the future of AI-enabled education, healthcare, and civics. Yet caution that our current approach to inclusion is not, in fact, inclusive. Whi...
The Privacy Paradox with Dr. Eric Perakslis, PhD
September 08, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MBDr. Eric Perakslis, PhD is the Chief Science and Digital Officer at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. In this incisive discussion, Eric exposes the curious nature of healthcare data. He proposes treating data like a digital specimen: one that requires clear consent and protection against misuse. Expanding our view beyond the doctor’s office, Eric shows why adverse effects from data misuse can be much harder to cure than a rash. As well as our innate human tendency to focus on...
AI Principles in Practice with Ansgar Koene
July 07, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBDr. Ansgar Koene is the Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader at Ernst & Young (EY), a Sr. Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham and chair of the IEEE P7003 Standard for Algorithm Bias Considerations working group. In this visionary discussion, Ansgar traces his path from robotics and computational social science to the ethics of data sharing and AI. Drawing from his wide-ranging research, Ansgar illustrates the need for true stakeholder representation; what diversity ...
AI: Competitor or Collaborator with Lama Nachman
June 23, 2021 09:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBLama Nachman is an Intel fellow and the director of Intel’s Human & AI Systems Research Lab. She also led Intel’s Responsible AI program. Lama’s team researches how AI can be applied to deliver contextually appropriate experiences that increase accessibility and amplify human potential. In this inspirational discussion, Lama exposes the need for equity in AI, demonstrates the difficulty in empowering authentic human interaction, and why ‘Wizard of Oz’ approaches as well as a will...
Beyond Bias in AI with Shalini Kantayya
June 09, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBShalini Kantayya is a storyteller, social activist, and filmmaker who explores challenging social topics with empathy and humor. Shalini’s film Coded Bias debunks the myth that AI algorithms are objective by nature. In this thought-provoking discussion, Shalini illustrates why film is a powerful medium for social change (hint: it’s about empathy), shares her belief that humans – not machines – must reinvent the future, and shows how inclusion and a focus on the human experience ar...
AI Education for All with Teemu Roos
May 26, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBTeemu Roos is the lead instructor of the Elements of AI online course which has a pivotal role in Finland's unique, inclusive AI strategy. Teemu is also a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and leader of the AI Education programme at the Finnish Center for AI. In this encouraging discussion, Teemu shares how an insatiable appetite for discovery led to a career as a ML researcher and educator. His excitement about projects ranging from astrophysics to neonat...
An Outlook on AI Ethics with Beena Ammanath
May 12, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBBeena Ammanath is the Executive Director of Deloitte’s AI Institute and leads their Trustworthy AI practice. She is a seasoned executive with global cross-industry experience and has been a board member and advisor to numerous tech startups. Beena is also the founder of the non-profit Humans For AI. In this insightful discussion, Beena traces AI ethics from click-bait to operational reality. She explores the interplay between R&D, value creation and ethics and why expecting – and a...
Humanity in AI with Renée Cummings
April 28, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBRenée Cummings is a criminologist, criminal psychologist, AI ethics evangelist and data activist in residence at the University of Virginia. In this compelling discussion, Renée shares her journey from journalism to the judiciary and into AI. She articulates the power of perspective, why intersectionality and imagination are key to AI’s future, and the extraordinary good we can accomplish with AI in all domains - including policing. If, that is, we vigilantly guard against creati...
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in AI with Tess Posner
April 14, 2021 09:01 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBTess Posner is an educator, social entrepreneur, CEO of AI-4-All and an avid advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in the tech economy. In this inspiring and insightful discussion, Tess shares her mission to make technology and education accessible to all, inspiring work being done by rising student leaders in the AI-4-All Changemaker community, some eye-opening statistics on the state of diversity in AI, research on bias in today’s AI systems, and the importance of not let...
Power and Peril of AI with Michael Kanaan
April 14, 2021 09:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBMichael Kanaan is the author of the best-selling book T-AI and the former chairperson of AI for the U.S. Air Force, Headquarters Pentagon. In this far-reaching discussion, Michael provides perspectives on the peril of anthropomorphizing AI and how differentiating between intelligence and consciousness creates clarity. He shares his own reckoning with humility while writing T-AI, popular misconceptions about AI, where we can go awry in addressing – or not addressing – AI’s inherent ...